HUMAN rights violations in Zimbabwe seem to be tacitly glorified by government, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has said.
ZimRights said this as the African continent commemorated Africa Human Rights Day over the weekend.
The organisation noted that government has failed to accept recommendations by several commissions and observers on how Zimbabwe can mend its dented human rights record.
“Two years later, Zimbabweans are still saddled with the same violations. This lack of accountability is also reflected in the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry into the August 1, 2018 shootings, where armed Zimbabwe National Army soldiers shot and killed six civilians and injured dozens of others,” the statement read.
“The recommendations in the commission’s report have been largely ignored, and up to today, the perpetrators have not been brought to book. Human rights violations seem to be tacitly glorified while human rights are being relegated to the dustbin.”
The Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry proffered that those responsible for alleged crimes on August 1, 2018 should be prosecuted, including members of the army and police who were in breach of their professional duties and discipline by firing lives ammunition at fleeing protesters.
“ZimRights laments the lack of political will to follow the African Charter, in letter and in spirit, by most African states and Zimbabwe, a signatory to the charter, has been witnessing a sustained deterioration of human rights.
“ZimRights’ State of Peace Report 2022 offers insights into how the prevalent human rights violations have contributed to negative peace in Zimbabwe.
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“Arrests of dissenting voices, criminalisation of the freedom of expression and of association, abductions, assaults and politically motivated killings have littered the Zimbabwean human rights landscape,” the organisation noted.
ZimRights also indicated that the recently held elections had been a vehicle for more human rights violations — a factor which was flagged by several observer missions including the African Union and Sadc election observer missions.
Post the August 23 and 24 elections, a wave of post-election violence was reported across Zimbabwe as the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change claimed that its supporters and activists were being attacked.
Earlier this month, human rights watchdog Amnesty International said it was lobbying the Africa Union to compel the Zimbabwean government to uphold human rights after Mnangagwa’s failure to reform the “abysmal legacy of human rights under the late former President Robert Mugabe’s leadership”.
